Back in December, Fortnite rolled out split-screen functionality as part of the v.11.30 update. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players can play Duos and Squads together on the same system, but it’s not particularly obvious how you’d do it.
Here’s how to play Fortnite in split-screen mode.
Fortnite: How to Play Split-Screen
At time of writing, split-screen is only available for Fortnite on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. PC and Nintendo Switch Fortnite players are out of luck for the time being.
If you didn’t realize it was possible at all, though, that’s easy to understand. The split-screen feature was introduced in an early state, and was yanked from the live game almost as soon as it was added due to some unfortunate bugs. The glitch got worked out shortly afterward, though, and you can now enable split-screen mode in the live game.
The split-screen feature isn’t available at all in solo mode. In order to access it, you need to be playing Fortnite Battle Royale in Duos or Squads mode.
Connect a second controller to your Xbox One or PlayStation 4. On PlayStation 4, this will automatically bring up the menu so the second player can log into a profile; on Xbox One, press the Home button and navigate to the login tab.
With that handled, push X on the PS4 controller or A on the Xbox controller to add them to your Fortnite game in split-screen mode. Your second player can then log into their Epic account through Fortnite to get access to all their skins and emotes.
If you’re on Xbox One, you need Xbox Live Gold to play Fortnite online, but only for the account of whoever’s logged in as Player 1. PS4 users have it easier here, as you don’t need Plus for online Fortnite on PS4.
You’re limited to running Duos or Squads with your split-screen buddy, unfortunately, and your local second player can’t leave the Battle Bus on his own. You also can’t get into Creative or Team Rumble modes in split-screen. Still, if you’re looking to play some online Fortnite with a real-world friend, split-screen mode is a time-honored living-room tradition.
We’ve got tons of Fortnite news, guides, and tips on our game hub page. Check out some of the latest information, like:
- How to get the Party Royale Neon Wings
- So, what is SBMM, anyway? We figured it out
- Get ready for the Party Royale premiere, featuring Steve Aoki, Dillon Francis, and Deadmau5
In advance of the debut of Fortnite Party Royale, Epic revealed today that there are over 350 million registered players for Fortnite. That’s… roughly 5% of the population of Earth. Not bad, Epic. We’ll see you at the concert on Friday. Love, your friends at @PrimaGames. (Follow us on Twitter.)
